Johnny Ray Hemphill was born on the 9th of April, 1946 in Louisville, Mississippi, to James Henry and Juanita Reed Hemphill. He was the first of four children and the only boy. Johnny grew up in the Ellison Ridge community, and, like so many other young Winston Countians during that time, had to help keep the family farm going and worked in the cotton fields. He always said he never knew they were poor. Everyone was poor back then. After graduating from Nanih Waiya in 1964, he headed north to Detroit to find work. During his time there, he met and married Pauline Ruth Jones.
His country came calling in December 1965 and Johnny was drafted into the United States Army where he was trained as a cook. Being the only male child made him ineligible for service overseas in Vietnam. He was stationed at Fort Lewis, Washington, where he fed many of the men training there, a number of which were from back home in Winston County.
Upon the end of his enlistment, he returned to Detroit where he and Pauline started their family with the births of three of their four sons, James who was stillborn in 1967, Jerry in 1968, and Jason in 1974. In 1976, the decision was made to move back to Winston County to escape the big city and raise their sons in the country. They settled in a rental house in Ellison Ridge for a time while Johnny worked hard to save for a place of their own. Not long after in 1977 the youngest son Jimmy was born.
Johnny was soon able to find the place we all called home in the Calhoun Community where he raised his three sons, cows, chickens, and his prized tomatoes. During that time, he worked in the metal fabrication business, maintenance at TRW, and finally as a millwright at the particleboard mill for Georgia Pacific/Roseburg until he retired.
In retirement, Johnny found joy in gardening, growing his tomatoes and socializing at the Warrior One Stop. He also took up beekeeping after he found a swarm of bees had moved into an old potato box. Johnny studied all he could find on raising bees. He spent hours building his hive boxes and tending to them until it got to be too much work and his health wouldn’t cooperate.
Johnny’s journey through this life came to an end on the 5th of October, 2023, after complications of a heart attack. He was surrounded by loved ones when he gained his Eternal Reward. We will all miss him dearly.
JJohnny was preceded in death by his parents, sisters Rita Hall and Shirley Pruitt, and an infant son, James Donald. He is survived by his sister Marlene (Rick) Lentz; sons: Jerry (Lucresia) Hemphill, Jason (Beth) Hemphill, all of Louisville, and Jimmy (Courtney) Hemphill of Tishomingo. He also leaves behind five grandchildren: Jeffrey (Stewart) Hemphill, Nathan Hemphill, Jacob (Anna) Hemphill, John Hemphill, and Megan Hemphill; five bonus grandchildren: Gracie Storment, Bryson Crawley, Brendan Smith, Jayred Smith, and Brody Smith; and two great-grandchildren, Jace and Jules Hemphill; along with many nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be 4 p.m. Sunday, October 8 in the Nowell-Massey Funeral Home Chapel in Louisville, Mississippi, with Reverend Wayne Hill officiating. Visitation will be the day of the service from 3 p.m. until service time at Nowell-Massey Funeral Home. Interment will immediately follow the service in Sardis Cemetery in Winston County.
Memorials in honor of Johnny may be given to Sardis Baptist Church Cemetery Fund, c/o Glenda Thomas, 215 Thomas Road, Louisville, MS 39339 or to Nanih Waiya Community Park, P. O. Box 83, Louisville, MS 39339.
Upon the end of his enlistment, he returned to Detroit where he and Pauline started their family with the births of three of their four sons, James who was stillborn in 1967, Jerry in 1968, and Jason in 1974. In 1976, the decision was made to move back to Winston County to escape the big city and raise their sons in the country. They settled in a rental house in Ellison Ridge for a time while Johnny worked hard to save for a place of their own. Not long after in 1977 the youngest son Jimmy was born.
Johnny was soon able to find the place we all called home in the Calhoun Community where he raised his three sons, cows, chickens, and his prized tomatoes. During that time, he worked in the metal fabrication business, maintenance at TRW, and finally as a millwright at the particleboard mill for Georgia Pacific/Roseburg until he retired.
In retirement, Johnny found joy in gardening, growing his tomatoes and socializing at the Warrior One Stop. He also took up beekeeping after he found a swarm of bees had moved into an old potato box. Johnny studied all he could find on raising bees. He spent hours building his hive boxes and tending to them until it got to be too much work and his health wouldn’t cooperate.
Johnny’s journey through this life came to an end on the 5th of October, 2023, after complications of a heart attack. He was surrounded by loved ones when he gained his Eternal Reward. We will all miss him dearly.
JJohnny was preceded in death by his parents, sisters Rita Hall and Shirley Pruitt, and an infant son, James Donald. He is survived by his sister Marlene (Rick) Lentz; sons: Jerry (Lucresia) Hemphill, Jason (Beth) Hemphill, all of Louisville, and Jimmy (Courtney) Hemphill of Tishomingo. He also leaves behind five grandchildren: Jeffrey (Stewart) Hemphill, Nathan Hemphill, Jacob (Anna) Hemphill, John Hemphill, and Megan Hemphill; five bonus grandchildren: Gracie Storment, Bryson Crawley, Brendan Smith, Jayred Smith, and Brody Smith; and two great-grandchildren, Jace and Jules Hemphill; along with many nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be 4 p.m. Sunday, October 8 in the Nowell-Massey Funeral Home Chapel in Louisville, Mississippi, with Reverend Wayne Hill officiating. Visitation will be the day of the service from 3 p.m. until service time at Nowell-Massey Funeral Home. Interment will immediately follow the service in Sardis Cemetery in Winston County.
Memorials in honor of Johnny may be given to Sardis Baptist Church Cemetery Fund, c/o Glenda Thomas, 215 Thomas Road, Louisville, MS 39339 or to Nanih Waiya Community Park, P. O. Box 83, Louisville, MS 39339.
